Tiger Woods arrested in Jupiter, Florida for DUI

PUBLISHED Mon, May 29, 2017 - 11:26am EDT

Mug shot (Credit: Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office)

Tiger Woods was arrested Monday on suspicion of driving under the influence near his home in Florida, but the former World No. 1 golfer says in a statement that it was the result of an "unexpected reaction" to medication. (more)

Woods, 41, was arrested at around 3 a.m. ET on Monday on Military Trail near the Indian Creek Parkway in Jupiter. He was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail at 7:15 a.m. for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

A spokesman for the Jupiter Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for more information, but records from the Palm Beach County Jail showed that Woods was released at 10:50 a.m. on his own recognizance.

In a statement released later on Monday, Woods apologized to his family, friends and fans, but emphasized that the incident was not caused by alcohol, as was suggested in media reports and on social media.

"I understand the severity of what I did and I take full responsibility for my actions," the golfer said. "I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn't realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly."

Woods added: "I would like to apologize with all my heart to my family, friends and the fans. I expect more from myself too. I will do everything in my power to ensure this never happens again. I fully cooperated with law enforcement, and I would like to personally thank the representatives of [law enforcement] for their professionalism."

Tiger Woods is one of the most successful golfers of all time, spending a record 281 weeks in the World Number One position, most recently from March 2013 through May 2014. He has won the annual Masters Tournament 4 times and won both the U.S. Open and The Open Championship 3 times.

Woods' career took a turn for the worse when he crashed his SUV into a a fire hydrant in 2009 after a confrontation with his wife, Elin Nordegren. He was later forced to make a public apology after a number of women came forward, claiming they had affairs with Woods. Nordegren later divorced Woods.